We’ve come a long way since then: Today, home recordists are able to access that same legendary reverb technology in software form, in our affordable collection of standalone plug-ins and bundles such as our PCM Total Bundle and PCM Native Effects Bundle. Our 480L, introduced in 1986, quickly became the gold standard in reverb, defining the sound of pop records for decades to come. Early electromechanical reverbs housed enormous metal plates or springs that became excited by sound vibrations other styles relied on magnetic tape echoes.ĭigital reverbs have been around since the 1970s when Lexicon introduced the legendary model 224 in 1978, at $7,500 for two programs, it was the most affordable unit on the market and it changed the studio game. Reverb processors have been enhancing recordings since the 1940s. Reverb’s character is defined by the number, density, tone and duration of sonic reflections (echoes), which are influenced by a space’s size, shape and surfaces that both reflect and absorb sound.įor hundreds of years, concert halls have been prized for their reverberant characteristics that compliment musical performances, and legendary recording studios are sought after for their unique acoustics. Reverberation is the reflection of sound in an acoustic environment.

Today, home recordists are able to access that same legendary Lexicon reverb technology in software form, in our affordable collection of standalone plug-ins and bundles. You can eliminate some of that guesswork by learning how reverbs work and what happens when you adjust their parameters. With so many reverb plug-ins and effects at your disposal, it’s easy to go down a wormhole, hunting and pecking your way through presets to dial in that perfect sound. Reverb can be incorporated naturally, by capturing performers in a reverberant space (such as an orchestra in a concert hall, a choir in a church-or, as Led Zeppelin made famous on “When the Levee Breaks,” a drummer in a stairwell) or artificially, by applying reverb processors during recording and mixing.

Reverb is a powerful recording enhancer, used to create a sense of space, add musically flattering effects and build width, depth and cohesiveness in a mix. These days, artists and engineers in home studios have endless tools for shaping recordings to both natural and creative effect. We’re going to let you in on a little secret: Recordings are illusions, audio sleights of hand, capturing fleeting moments in time, re-creating and reshaping them so they can be enjoyed again and again.

Art acoustic reverb presets